Battle of Son

The Battle of Son occurred on 17 September 1944 during Operation Market Garden in World War II. The US 101st Airborne Division landed near Son by parachute and glider with the goal of securing the bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal from the Germans. However, the Americans engaged in bitter fighting with the Germans, who succeeded in demolishing the bridge before the Americans reached it.

The 101st Airborne, commanded by Robert Sink, landed to the north of Son, with glider-borne infantry and parachute infantry landing in farmland near the town. The first shots of the battle were fired not long after, with German patrols clashing with the American paratroops after they landed. The Germans proceeded to attack the gliders after they landed, leading to drawn-out firefights between the Americans and the Germans. The Americans ultimately succeeded in clearing the farmhouses outside of Son of German troops, enabling them to advance into the city.

The 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, which had landed at Landing Zone "W" and cleared the countryside, was then ordered to follow the 506th into the town of Son. The Germans used Flak 88 guns to fire at the woods and force the American paratroops into the open, disregarding civilian lives in the process. As the Americans moved into town, they were enthusiastically greeted by the local Dutch civilians, including priest Sijmen Schulten, who gave them free cigars. However, the Germans ambushed the Americans with Flak and machine-gun fire, killing Schulten. The Americans were now forced to engage in bitter block-to-block fighting, securing the sanatorium from the Germans, clearing out several German machine-gun nests, and fighting their way to the Son bridge. The Germans demolished the bridge before the Americans could reach it, preventing the Allies from using the bridge to send armored reinforcements to the British at Arnhem. The Americans were forced to wade across the river under heavy German machine-gun fire, with many of them being killed. Upon reaching the other bank of the river, the Americans proceeded to fight their way to the Flak 88 gun and destroy it with a satchel charge. With the Flak 88 down, the rest of the 101st was able to secure Son, but the capture of Son was worth nothing due to the lack of its vital bridge.